As she opened the car door, she changed her mind. But it was too late. They'd already seen her. Their cries came simultaneously.

"Kitty! You're here!"

"At last!"

"We thought you weren't going to come!"

Kitty's doubt faded as she was infected by her friends' excitement. She got out of the car and walked across the car park to meet them. "Of course I came! A pledge is a pledge. This year, we're really going to do it, I've got a good feeling about it." Once she'd greeted and hugged her three friends, Kitty took a notebook out of her handbag, and started running through a list. "Right, I've got the tickets. Jane, you've got the blankets?" Jane nodded. "Lynne, you should have the wigs, and Jenny, you should have the masks." Lynne and Jenny both nodded agreement.

"Wait till you see the masks," Jenny giggled, "you're going to love them!"

"Good, no excuses then," Kitty said. "This year, we're really going to do it. Let's go." Linking arms with Jenny, Kitty led the way towards the entrance queue.

Once they were in the queue, the friends started to catch up with each other's gossip from the last year. As usual when they got together, the time raced past, and before they knew it they were at the front of the queue and through the gates. "Welcome to Wimbledon," the steward said, handing them each a game schedule and map.

"Where first?" Kitty asked.

"Bar!" came the three replies.

"Right then, this way." Taking charge as usual, Kitty led the way towards the bar.

***

"Four double gin and tonics, please," Kitty said to the barmaid when they reached the bar. "We're going to need all the Dutch courage we can get," she carried on under her breath to her friends. Drinks in hand, the girls settled down at a table to discuss the plan.

"Let's see the masks then," Kitty said to Jenny.

"Sure, here you are. Aren't they great?" Jenny pulled a mask out of her bag and passed it across the table to Kitty. Kitty was impressed. It was a simple white plastic Halloween mask, but Jenny had painted a copy of a Picasso style face on it, so that the wearer would be turned into a walking Picasso masterpiece. "I've done them all the same," Jenny added, "I thought it would give us more team spirit."

"They're perfect," grinned Kitty. "Now, what about the wigs?"

Lynne now reached into her bag, and pulled out an afro style, rainbow coloured wig. "They'll go pretty well with Jenny's masks, don't you think?"

"They'll look fantastic," Kitty agreed.

"Do you really think we'll do it this year?" asked Jane.

"Definitely."

"Absolutely."

"Without a doubt."

***

A few double gin and tonics later, the friends were all getting loud and excited. "Kitty, Kitty, did you bring the oath?" Jenny asked.

"Certainly did!" Kitty responded, drawing out of her bag a folded, dog-eared piece of paper.

"Read it, read it!" Jenny said, giggling.

"Right." Kitty cleared her throat. "We, the undersigned, of St Cuthbert's School, Farnborough, do solemnly swear, that no matter how long it take, we will..."

"Ladies and gentlemen." The PA system in the bar kicked in. "The first match of the season, between Tim Henman and Jonathan Retson, will start in ten minutes on the centre court. Please start to make your way to your seats. I repeat, the first match of the season will start on the centre court in ten minutes."

"Oooh, we'd better find our seats and get ready!" Jane screeched. "Come on, girls!"

***

Ten minutes later, the four friends were sat in their front row seats, masks and wigs on, blankets wrapped around them, ready to go. The two players walked on to the court. The crowed started to cheer. "Come on, girls!" shouted Kitty. "Let's do it!"

So they did.

***

Later that evening, having each received a police caution, the girls gathered round Kitty's telly, waiting for the Wimbledon coverage.

"I can't believe we actually did it!"

"Do you think we'll be on the news?"

"Sssh, sssh, here it comes!"

"The first day of Wimbledon started to a rather unusual sight today. Players and crowd alike were shocked to see four 45 year old women run across the centre court wearing nothing but colourful masks and wigs. The four ladies later commented to reporters that it had been an ambition since their school days to streak at a major sporting event, and that despite making many plans to do so, this was the first time they had actually gone through with it. Well, each to their own, I suppose. Onto today's matches..."

The four girls sat back and smiled. "Finally, we really did it," sighed Kitty, happily.